Cupcakes
by Amilya Eclair Farron
Summary: "I don't see why you wanted me to help you with this." Garfield says but obediently fills each slot with cupcake batter. : Belated Valentine's Day ficlet : Smileshipping [Garfield Lynns/Alice Liddell] :


**Title:** Cupcakes  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _the Batman_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** Garfield Lynns (Firefly), Alice Liddell, Drury Walker (Killer Moth), Peter Merkel (Ragdoll)  
><strong>Pairings:<strong> Garfield Lynns (Firefly)/Alice Liddell, Mentioned!Peter/Selina  
><strong>Summary:<strong> "I don't see why you wanted me to help you with this." Garfield says but obediently fills each slot with cupcake batter.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 1,084  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Happy Belated Valentine's Day! Please forgive me for how — cheesy? Sappy? Pathetic? — this oneshot is.  
><em>Edit:<em> OK, I don't know why it wouldn't work the first time, but hopefully re-posting it will do the trick. *_keeps fingers crossed_***  
>Warnings:<strong> (Some?)OOC-ness  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _the Batman_ and _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including any characters that appear and are mentioned). Thank you.

* * *

><p><em>Cupcakes<em>

* * *

><p>"I don't see why you wanted me to help you with this." Garfield says but obediently fills each slot with cupcake batter. It's been almost an hour since Peter's left for his date with Selina and Drury's been absent for the whole day. Beside him, Alice dries her hands off with a towel and turns her soft smile – the same smile that tends to catch him off guard – to him.<p>

And yet this time there was something… different… about it.

"My sister and I used to make cupcakes and all kinds of other pastries together."

"… Really now," It took him a little too long to respond. He knows that she has two sisters: one named Edith and the other named Lorina. But he also knows something else. Something that's all a little _too_ personal and it's the same reason why Alice is _still_ insecure about herself. And it makes him hope that it's not the sister that's the cause of it.

"Mmhmm," There's a twinge of sadness in her eyes and its like someone's stabbed him in the gut because he _knows_, without her having to say, that it is the sister that causes all those insecurities to consume her. "Her pastries always come out tasting delicious."

He gives a small hum and tries to think of something to say.

"Too bad she isn't here now."

Her whole body freezes.

"Because she won't be able to sample how _amazingly delicious_ these babies will turn out to be! Speaking of which, I think it's time we put these guys in the oven, don't you?" Garfield flashes his boyish grin at her and sets the now empty bowl down. Without waiting for a response he tucks the tray safely inside the pre-heated oven and sets the timer. "And… that should pretty much cover it.

"Alice?" He notices that she still hasn't said a word nor has she moved an inch. _Crap._ "… Alice? Hey."

Her muscles weren't tense like he had expected to find upon placing his hands on her arms. Which was a good sign, wasn't it? Yeah. It had to be. And on the plus side she hadn't pushed him away. So those were all good signs, right?

He's just glad that Nygma, Dr. Crane, and a few others aren't there to throttle him.

"... Garfield?"

"Yes…?" It's hard to tell what she's feeling because her bangs are in the way. And it makes his palms sweaty and his insides quiver; it reminds him of the first time he asked a girl out on a date back in high school which, to him, is ridiculous because this isn't high school and she's his girlfriend.

"Thank you."

He blinks, studying her expression carefully, as she gives him that same smile that first did him in. The breath he's been holding is released in a soundless, relieved sigh when he finds that it's genuine and that she isn't in that depressed state she's usually in when _that_ topic comes up.

"Alice?"

Now it's her turn to blink. "Yes?"

Garfield can't help it. He smirks and leans his face down towards her. Instantly, her cheeks flare red and her eyes widen a fraction at realizing just what it is he's about to do. But he doesn't do that. Instead, she feels his breath tickle the shell of her ear and feels her heart drum loudly from within her chest. What was he—?

"Just to set the record straight, I'm glad you're you."

If it were possible her cheeks turned a darker shade when his lips (finally) met hers.

* * *

><p><em>(Extended Ending:)<em>

"Hey, you guys; what's that yummy—… um… what are you two doing?" Drury's voice sails through the air and it's clear that his brain has yet to process the information that his eyes are sending it.

It even takes Garfield a second to realize that "the moment" is over and that Alice, cheeks (still) stained a dark red, is now fussing over the now done deserts instead of being (snuggly) trapped between him and the counter. After he recovers, he glares at Moth and it's enough to make the man cower from the sheer intensity of it.

"_Oh_." He mouthed and Garfield gave him a look that said: _Yeah "oh"!_

"Sorry! I just got home and smelled… I didn't mean to—!"

"It's alright, Drury." Alice, although her cheeks were still red, smiled reassuringly at him. It was plain that Garfield didn't feel the same way. "Garfield and I were just baking cupcakes." If circumstances were different, he would have tried to create a witty insult to use on Garfield, but knew not to. The glare he was receiving from the blond was enough to tell him that that would definitely not be wise on his part.

So instead he gives a shaky smile and a nervous nod when she decides to ask him if he'd like to help make the cream cheese frosting.

* * *

><p><em>(Extra Extended Ending:)<em>

"Would you care to explain why Moth's in his… current predicament?" Peter stops by the side of the couch, arms crossed, with a look of disapproval. But if it's because of what he did to Moth (tied up, gagged, and hanging upside down outside of their hideout) or the fact that Alice is asleep and cuddled up against him, he isn't sure. What he does know though is that he doesn't give a flying penny.

"The usual: he was being a nuisance."

"Uh-huh," Obviously, with how it's let out slowly and the tone that's used, he doesn't quite buy that that's the real reason for it; however, thankfully, he doesn't push it. Instead he loosens his tie and proceeds into the kitchen, more likely than not, to help himself to a red velvet. Believing that was the end of that, Garfield tries to act as if he's finding this movie he's watching interesting.

"You had your girlfriend _bake you cupcakes on_ _Valentine's Day?_"

"Alice wanted to make them." He mentally does a facepalm for how hastily it came out as if he were defending himself. "Oh, and Moth helped her make the frosting."

A hum came from the thief.

"…"

Seriously, how many sappy movies were they playing tonight? Wasn't there anything decent on that he could watch?

It's not long before Peter emerges from the kitchen and takes a seat in the worn La-Z-Boy chair.

"… It's because Moth screwed up the frosting, isn't it?"

Garfield mutters darkly under his breath, "He screwed up something alright."


End file.
